The present invention relates to a shift device for a vehicle having a shift-by-wire type shift mechanism.
A typical automobile in which an automatic transmission is installed includes a shift mechanism having a shift lever. The position of the automatic transmission is determined in accordance with the manipulation of the shift lever.
A shift-by-wire type automatic transmission has been developed as such a shift mechanism. The shift-by-wire type automatic transmission electrically detects the manipulation of a shift lever and activates an actuator for switching the range of the transmission in accordance with detected signals. A manual shift valve is switched in accordance with the operation of the actuator.
A typical shift lever is arranged such that the shift lever projects from the shift mechanism. Therefore, the shift lever might be moved in a direction that a driver does not intend. Furthermore, since the shift lever is exposed in the passenger compartment, the design flexibility is restricted.
Accordingly, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a controller for a transmission of a vehicle that prevents a shift lever from being moved in a direction that a driver does not intend and that can hide the shift lever.
To achieve the above objective, an embodiment of the present invention provides a shift device for a vehicle. The shift device includes a case, a manipulation body, and a first detecting member. The manipulation body is manipulated for selecting the connection state of a transmission of a vehicle. The first detecting member detects the connection state selected by the manipulation body. The manipulation body is characterized in that the manipulation body is arranged to be selectively projected from the case.
Other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example the principles of the invention.